ist. Fog rolled off the sea like a thick bl

f lukewarm tea, watching as the sleepy world stirred to life. Someone biked past

ery time she closed her e

d've sai

like a wound th

, petals drying out in buckets because she hadn't remembered to refrigerate them. It felt symbolic-lik

etermined to distract herself. But the bell over

alked in wit

, he wasn't h

tebook in one hand and some

ightened. "

e door behind him. "Rosebay's not that big. We w

match his sarcasm. "What's that?" sh

er book. She kept records in duplicates. I figur

her, but didn't

to talk about

eath c

?" she ask

me a conv

orkroom behind the shop. They stepped inside-tight quarters, t

st the door fra

ou leave?"

blin

se I h

irm. "Not good enough.

rve peace

ce if you had told

hed between them l

he counter and stared at the f

d. "The guy you date

dded s

e a job near mine. At first, it was... sweet. He'd bring me lunch.

said n

certain clothes. Didn't like when I made new friends. Said my boss

crossed

ld've ca

remember me, the girl who ditched you with

ed, Olivia. You needed som

ed up, hot

l didn't even blink. Just said, you better not k

jaw cl

. Alone. I had a miscarriage at eight weeks and we

pped forw

sor

to be whole again," she said, voice crack

o pull her close, but just to

ve to go throu

I d

ent p

d, "I wish

do

only sound was the distant crash of waves

ucas let o

to stay t

She stared at the worn tile ben

ut I'm not going to disapp

look

t promising I'll do it again.

still figurin

ially

in years, something

d gone, Olivia sat alone with

it to the

in curling scrip

it means you're trying. A

o her heart and whispe

re if she bel

ma

t m

want